Belconnen
Encyclopedia
- For the Canberra suburb of Belconnen see: Belconnen, Australian Capital TerritoryBelconnen, Australian Capital TerritoryBelconnen is a suburb of Canberra, Australia in the district of Belconnen. It contains the Belconnen Town Centre, Lake Ginninderra and several residential areas. It is bounded by Ginninderra Drive, Aikman Drive, Eastern Valley Way, Belconnen Way and Coulter Drive...
Belconnen is a district of Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, the capital city of Australia, comprising 25 suburbs with 29,900 dwellings housing 82,247 people of the 311,518 people in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
(June 2001 Census).
Belconnen is situated to the north-west of Canberra's city centre, and surrounds the artificial Lake Ginninderra
Lake Ginninderra
Lake Ginninderra is an artificial lake located on the Ginninderra Creek in Canberra. It is adjacent to the Belconnen Town Centre. The lake was constructed in 1974 to collect stormwater discharge from a 98.8km² catchment that includes the surrounding suburbs of Aranda, Macquarie, Cook, Bruce,...
on Ginninderra
Ginninderra
Ginninderra is the name of the former agricultural lands surrendered to urban development on the western and north-western fringes of Canberra, Australia's National Capital...
Creek that runs north-west towards the Molonglo River
Molonglo River
The Molonglo River rises on the western side of the Great Dividing Range of eastern Australia in the state of New South Wales. Its source is on the other side of the mountain range from where the Shoalhaven River rises, in Tallaganda state forest at ~1200 metres altitude...
and then into the Murrumbidgee River
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
.'
Urban structure
Belconnen consists of 25 suburbs, the majority of which are predominantly characterised by detached single family homes on suburban blocks. Some suburbs also have pockets of medium density units or town houses, such as HawkerHawker, Australian Capital Territory
Hawker Hawker Hawker (postcode: 2614, is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Hawker is in the district of Belconnen.The suburb of Hawker is named after Charles Hawker (1894–1938), Member of the House of Representatives from 1929–1938 and Federal minister in 1932...
and Holt
Holt, Australian Capital Territory
Holt is a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen. It was gazetted on 2 July 1970 and was named after Harold Holt, Prime Minister of Australia 1966-67. Streets are named after sportsmen and sportswomen....
. Significant pockets of multi-unit medium density housing exist in the suburb of Belconnen
Belconnen, Australian Capital Territory
Belconnen is a suburb of Canberra, Australia in the district of Belconnen. It contains the Belconnen Town Centre, Lake Ginninderra and several residential areas. It is bounded by Ginninderra Drive, Aikman Drive, Eastern Valley Way, Belconnen Way and Coulter Drive...
, and the northern section of Bruce
Bruce, Australian Capital Territory
Bruce is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Bruce was gazetted as a division on 6 June 1968 in recognition of Viscount Stanley Melbourne Bruce, the first Chancellor of the Australian National University and eighth Prime Minister of Australia. S. M. Bruce served as...
. In both of these suburbs, the bulk of housing is medium density. Residential development is still taking place in the central suburb of Bruce and the outer suburb of Dunlop
Dunlop, Australian Capital Territory
Dunlop is a suburb of Belconnen, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Dunlop is located at the far north-west edge of Canberra, nearby the border with the state of New South Wales. Located approximately 11.6 kilometers north-west of the city, Dunlop is situated next to the suburbs of Fraser,...
in 2005.
There is almost no industry in Belconnen, other than light automotive repair industry and similar services and the Westfield Belconnen
Westfield Belconnen
Westfield Belconnen, also known colloquially as "Belconnen Mall", is managed by Westfield Group and located in the Canberra suburb of Belconnen, Australia. The shopping centre is one of the largest in Canberra, featuring around 270 specialty stores....
shopping centre located in the Belconnen Town Centre
Belconnen Town Centre
Belconnen Town Centre is located in the suburb of Belconnen on the south-western shore of Lake Ginninderra in Canberra, Australia. It is the town centre for the Belconnen district....
.
Transport
The primary mode of transport within the District is by private vehicle. The District of Belconnen was planned in the 1960s and was guided by a philosophy of reliance on private personal transport and an abundance of roads. Public buses serve the district and a bus interchange exists in the Town Centre.Roads
Belconnen is well served by a network of near-freeway-quality roads located between suburbs and intersecting the district. The main roads between suburbs are typically landscaped with mounds of earth and vegetation to form ‘parkways’.The main roads connecting the district with North Canberra and the city centre
City Centre, Australian Capital Territory
The central business district of Canberra, Australia's capital city, is officially named City . However it is also referred to as Civic, Civic Centre, City Centre, Canberra City and Canberra ....
are Belconnen Way and Ginninderra Drive. These roads are 6 lane parkways for the majority of their length and run in an east-west direction. Belconnen is situated south of the Barton Highway
Barton Highway
The Barton Highway is a short highway in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia.The Barton Highway connects Canberra to the Hume Highway at Yass, and it is part of the route from Melbourne to Canberra....
which leads to Yass
Yass, New South Wales
Yass is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Yass Valley Shire. The name appears to have been derived from an Aboriginal word, "Yarrh" , said to mean 'running water'....
, where it connects with the Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. To the south of the district is William Hovell Drive which connects the southern and western suburbs of Belconnen with Parkes Way
Parkes Way, Canberra
Parkes Way is a road in Canberra, Australia, which runs east-west between Kings Avenue and the Glenloch Interchange. At Glenloch Interchange it intersects with William Hovell Drive, Tuggeranong Parkway and Caswell Drive.The road is a freeway from Glenloch Interchange to the Commonwealth Avenue...
and the Tuggeranong Parkway which lead to the city centre and Canberra’s southern districts respectively.
Public Transport
The ACTIONACTION
ACTION is a public bus service operating in Canberra, ACT, Australia. It is operated by the ACT Department of Territory and Municipal Services...
bus service which provides public transport throughout Canberra is the only form of regularly scheduled public transport in Belconnen. Services from the various suburbs generally pass through a bus interchange at Belconnen Town Centre
Belconnen Town Centre
Belconnen Town Centre is located in the suburb of Belconnen on the south-western shore of Lake Ginninderra in Canberra, Australia. It is the town centre for the Belconnen district....
from where they continue to Civic
City Centre, Australian Capital Territory
The central business district of Canberra, Australia's capital city, is officially named City . However it is also referred to as Civic, Civic Centre, City Centre, Canberra City and Canberra ....
and the other town centres to Canberra’s south. Some services travel to Gungahlin. There are also express services which connect directly with Tuggeranong.
The bus interchange is spread across the Belconnen town centre in three different locations. The previous interchange, which is now one of those locations, was connected by footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
to large shopping centre and to office buildings occupied by major Government departments. It was an ageing facility which was been criticised for being unsafe, particularly at night, and for being dirty and prone to vandalism. For these reasons it was subject to major renovations.
The ACT Government plans to construct a busway to connect the Belconnen Town centre with the hospital and CIT
Canberra Institute of Technology
The Canberra Institute of Technology is a vocational education provider in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, and is one of a system of TAFEs. Qualifications offered by CIT range from certificate to degree level. CIT has four campuses across Canberra, located in Bruce, Reid, Phillip and...
precinct in Bruce
Bruce, Australian Capital Territory
Bruce is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Bruce was gazetted as a division on 6 June 1968 in recognition of Viscount Stanley Melbourne Bruce, the first Chancellor of the Australian National University and eighth Prime Minister of Australia. S. M. Bruce served as...
and the city centre
City Centre, Australian Capital Territory
The central business district of Canberra, Australia's capital city, is officially named City . However it is also referred to as Civic, Civic Centre, City Centre, Canberra City and Canberra ....
.
Gungahlin Drive Extension
In November 2004 construction commenced on the Gungahlin Drive ExtensionGungahlin Drive Extension
The Gungahlin Drive Extension is a major road project in Canberra, Australia. It is 9 kilometres long and extended the previously existing Gungahlin Drive from the Barton Highway in the district of Gungahlin to the Glenloch Interchange to connect with Parkes Way and the Tuggeranong Parkway. The...
(GDE). This road is to connect Gungahlin Drive in Gungahlin with Parkes Way
Parkes Way, Canberra
Parkes Way is a road in Canberra, Australia, which runs east-west between Kings Avenue and the Glenloch Interchange. At Glenloch Interchange it intersects with William Hovell Drive, Tuggeranong Parkway and Caswell Drive.The road is a freeway from Glenloch Interchange to the Commonwealth Avenue...
and the Tuggeranong Parkway at the Glenloch Interchange
Glenloch Interchange
Glenloch Interchange is Canberra's only major interchange which connects Tuggeranong Parkway with Parkes Way, William Hovell Drive and Caswell Drive . Following a major reconstruction lasting from 2007 to mid 2008, the interchange now operates without traffic lights...
at the south eastern corner of the Belconnen district. The proposed road will run north south passing through forest and woodlands within the Canberra Nature Park
Canberra Nature Park
The Canberra Nature Park is actually 30 separate protected areas in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, ranging from bushland hills to lowland native grassland...
, including parts of the Black Mountain
Black Mountain (Australian Capital Territory)
Black Mountain is situated close to the central business district of Australia's capital city Canberra. Like all major hills in Canberra it is protected from development by the Canberra Nature Park. It is covered in native bushland and is a haven to native wildlife.With its peak at 811.987m AHD,...
Reserve. It will also pass beside the Australian Institute of Sport. The project had been a major political issue across Canberra from the mid 1990s until construction was so far commenced that all damage to the environment which had been objected to was done. The 'Save the Ridge' group had campaigned against the proposed road since that time and took legal action which stalled the project until October 2005. The ACT Government had legislated to prevent further legal delays from community groups however this did not affect Save the Ridge continuing action which they had commenced in the Federal Court
Federal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
. After several cases before the ACT Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory
The Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory is the superior court for the ACT. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters , and hears the most serious criminal matters...
and the Federal Court, the Federal Court ruled in favour of the road construction project going ahead. On 15 October 2005 Save the Ridge announced that they would not be appealing the decision to the High Court
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
and would not be further opposing the construction of the road.
History
Ginninderra
Ginninderra is the name of the former agricultural lands surrendered to urban development on the western and north-western fringes of Canberra, Australia's National Capital...
, the former agricultural lands that corresponds with the watershed of Ginninderra Creek
Ginninderra Creek
Ginninderra Creek is a water course that flows across the Ginninderra Plain through the Gungahlin and Belconnen regions in Canberra, Australia....
. The Belconnen district is named after one of the earliest land grants made in the district during colonial times. Belconnen a land grant totalling 800 ha in size was made to explorer Charles Sturt
Charles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
who eventually sold the property to Robert Campbell
Robert Campbell
-Politicians:*Robert Campbell , Australian merchant/politician from New South Wales*Robert Campbell , New South Wales politician, son of the above*Robert Campbell , New York politician...
who owns the nearby Duntroon Estate.
A stone plaque located at the sport fields in Aranda, Belconnen's first suburb, commemorates the commencement of urban development of the Belconnen district.
The inscription reads:
- "This tablet marks the inauguration of development of the district of Belconnen by the Minister of State for the Interior The Honourable J. D. Anthony, M.P. 23rd June 1966"
The nearby Jamison Centre
Jamison Centre, Australian Capital Territory
Jamison Centre is a designated group centre located in the Canberra suburb of Macquarie. It services the suburbs of Macquarie, Aranda, Bruce, Cook, Page and Weetangera. Places nearby include the West Belconnen Rugby Club and the Big Splash Waterpark....
, the first commercial centre in the district, opened in 1969. The Belconnen Town Centre located on the shore of Lake Ginninderra
Lake Ginninderra
Lake Ginninderra is an artificial lake located on the Ginninderra Creek in Canberra. It is adjacent to the Belconnen Town Centre. The lake was constructed in 1974 to collect stormwater discharge from a 98.8km² catchment that includes the surrounding suburbs of Aranda, Macquarie, Cook, Bruce,...
opened in the late 1970s.
Education
The University of CanberraUniversity of Canberra
Over the years the Stone Day program has gradually become larger and larger, taking up a whole week and now Stonefest is one of Australia's most popular music festivals. The first foundation celebrations were held in 1971. In 1973 Stone Day celebrations were held over two days, which was expanded...
is located in the suburb of Bruce
Bruce, Australian Capital Territory
Bruce is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Bruce was gazetted as a division on 6 June 1968 in recognition of Viscount Stanley Melbourne Bruce, the first Chancellor of the Australian National University and eighth Prime Minister of Australia. S. M. Bruce served as...
and has a student population of approximately 10,000. A Canberra Institute of Technology
Canberra Institute of Technology
The Canberra Institute of Technology is a vocational education provider in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, and is one of a system of TAFEs. Qualifications offered by CIT range from certificate to degree level. CIT has four campuses across Canberra, located in Bruce, Reid, Phillip and...
(CIT) campus is also in Bruce.
The Australian Capital Territory Government operates 23 Preschools, 19 Primary Schools, 5 High Schools and 3 Colleges (Senior Secondary Schools) within the District of Belconnen. There are also 8 religious schools and one Government special school for students with disabilities.
Places of note and interest
.jpg)
- The Belconnen Town CentreBelconnen Town CentreBelconnen Town Centre is located in the suburb of Belconnen on the south-western shore of Lake Ginninderra in Canberra, Australia. It is the town centre for the Belconnen district....
has a major shopping mall operated by WestfieldThe Westfield GroupThe Westfield Group is an Australian shopping centre group undertaking ownership, development, design, construction, funds/asset management, property management, leasing and marketing activities...
, surrounded by government and private offices, and a light industrial area. - Government offices headquartered in Belconnen include the Australian Taxation OfficeAustralian Taxation OfficeThe Australian Taxation Office is an Australian Government statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system and superannuation legislation...
, the Department of Immigration and CitizenshipDepartment of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (Australia)The Department of Immigration and Citizenship is an Australian Government department. It is responsible for immigration arrangements, border control, citizenship, ethnic affairs, multicultural affairs. For the 2008-09 financial year, DIAC had an annual operating budget of A$1.7...
, the Australian Communication and Media Authority, and the Australian Bureau of StatisticsAustralian Bureau of StatisticsThe Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
. - In the suburb of Bruce are:
- University of CanberraUniversity of CanberraOver the years the Stone Day program has gradually become larger and larger, taking up a whole week and now Stonefest is one of Australia's most popular music festivals. The first foundation celebrations were held in 1971. In 1973 Stone Day celebrations were held over two days, which was expanded...
campus - Canberra StadiumCanberra StadiumCanberra Stadium is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia...
- Australian Institute of SportAustralian Institute of SportThe Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
- University of Canberra
- The Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
established a very low and high frequency radioRadioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
transmitting station in Belconnen in the 1930s, as part of the naval communications base . Belconnen Naval Transmitting Station operated until 2005, with its transmitter towers felled in 2006, and part of the site marked for the new suburb of LawsonLawson, Australian Capital TerritoryLawson is a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen. The postcode is 2617. It does not have any suburban houses, consisting only of part of Lake Ginninderra, the Belconnen Naval Radio Station, and an open area of grassland where there is a reservoir and substation. A bicycle path runs...
. - Belconnen Remand Centre was a remandDetention of suspectsThe detention of suspects is the process of keeping a person who has been arrested in a police-cell, remand prison or other detention centre before trial or sentencing. One criticism of pretrial detention is that eventual acquittal can be a somewhat hollow victory, in that there is no way to...
custody facility which was replaced by the Alexander Maconochie CentreAlexander Maconochie CentreThe Alexander Maconochie Centre is an Australian prison and remand centre complex in the Australian Capital Territory.The centre is designed as a multi-role facility to replace the Belconnen Remand Centre and provide detention facilities so that prisoners who are currently held in New South Wales...
in late April 2009, located the suburb of HumeHume, Australian Capital TerritoryHume is a suburb of Canberra in the district of Tuggeranong. The suburb is named after the explorer Hamilton Hume and streets are named after Australian industrialists and businessmen. Hume is a light-industrial suburb and there is no significant housing development...
. Sentenced prisoners in the ACTAustralian Capital TerritoryThe Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
formerly served their sentences in prisons in neighbouring New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
External links
- Belconnen suburbs map - links to ACT Government street-level maps.
- Canberra region map - all districts
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Video of Belconnen Naval Transmitting Towers being felled (20 December 2006):
- Tower 1 (72s) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ_tXJN1YJU
- Towers 2&3 (63s) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFVuUybBkRg